Nadia was face down with the covers to her waist, exposing her vulnerable back. The angel, Ariel, was curled up on a pillow beside her, relaxed, but alert.
A quick check of the closet and bathrooms came up empty, and he exhaled a relieved sigh. Later, he’d deliver a firm lecture on the foolishness of leaving her door unlatched. Although she might assume the third floor to be without danger, she would be wrong. Angels and demons were able to scale the building with no difficulty whatsoever.
He paused to watch her sleeping, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed with her and make love with her until he never had to think again. In his wildest fantasies, her embrace provided oblivion. No more strategizing, no more wars. And oh, didn’t peace sound incredible right about now?
But it wasn’t to be. Not yet, anyway.
Next on his agenda—uncover the details of the murders. As a master at reading between the lines, Luc could easily detect a falsehood. Michael’s response had been genuine, and the truth inescapable. The perpetrator wasn’t him.
When Luc had those responsible within his grasp, he would flay them alive.
A wave of grief washed over him.
Dinathial was gone.
He leaned heavily against the doorjamb as the loss sank in. Reborn in his mother’s image, she was pure beauty and grace. Her kindness toward humans had been remarked upon by others of her kind, earning ridicule. When she’d bonded with Raziel, going so far as to openly live with him, she’d made deadly enemies. A few of which might be the culprit.
Yet Luc suspected more at play, especially considering the location. It couldn’t be a coincidence that the incident occurred outside of Nadia’s flat. The only question he had was what part, if any, she had played.
Luc waved a hand to restart time, then twirled a finger to reset it to the appropriate moment.
Ariel rose and crossed the bed, then sat down on the edge to watch him.
“Were you aware of last night’s attack on Dina and Raz?” he asked, studying her closely for a tell.
“No,” she telegraphed. Sincerity shone in her green eyes.
“Do you believe Nadia knows?”
Again, she replied in the negative.
“So you heard nothing? No sign of battle outside her door?”
Her gaze grew troubled as it flitted toward the living room slider. “Not battle, but something, yes.”
“Tell me.”
“Heated conversation, but muffled.”
It would make sense that anyone strong enough to murder an upper-echelon daemon trained by him and a mid-level angel trained by Gabriel had the ability to mute the sound.
But who?
The buildings were warded against attack. The only ones daring enough to try were Raphael and Michael. Yet they wouldn’t have stopped until they’d captured Nadia.
No one else could have taken both Dinathial and Raziel together.
Unless they weren’t together.
The only other explanation could be that they had turned on each other.
Luc rejected the notion as soon as it occurred.
They were in love. Nothing would make them fight one another. Should they, there would’ve been a victor.
“If you hear anything, alert me immediately, Ariel,” he commanded.
She blinked in the affirmative.
